Rotating Conveyor Rows for Pallet Contour Accuracy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for loading pallets with cuboid objects often result in oversized configurations due to protruding packs, leading to incorrect contour checks and manual corrections, which are time-consuming and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the rotation of rows of cuboid objects by 90 degrees on a conveyor belt to create a stable and space-saving layer pattern on the pallet, ensuring that objects are not displaced and the gap in the middle area is maintained, preventing the pallet from exceeding maximum dimensions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If packs are arranged in a conventional pattern on half-pallets, then the loading process is simple and fast, but the pallet may protrude beyond maximum dimensions causing contour control failures
Solution Approach 1:
The method performs preliminary arrangement of packs in specific patterns (e.g., alternating orientations in different rows) before final palletization. This advance planning ensures that when packs are pushed together, they interlock properly and fill gaps efficiently, preventing protrusions beyond pallet contours while maintaining automated handling speed
Solution Approach 2:
The invention employs asymmetric arrangements of packs where adjacent rows have different orientations (e.g., some rows with packs oriented lengthwise, others widthwise). This asymmetric pattern creates better space utilization and prevents uniform protrusions, ensuring the pallet stays within contour limits while maintaining efficient loading processes
2Stability of the object's composition
If individual packs are rotated by 90 degrees during conveyor transport, then a stable layer pattern is achieved, but the complexity of the loading device increases
Solution Approach 1:
The conveyor system is divided into separate sections, each handling specific rows of packs. Individual rotation mechanisms are applied only to specific rows that require orientation changes, rather than rotating all packs uniformly. This segmented approach achieves stable layer patterns while minimizing the complexity of the overall rotation mechanism
Solution Approach 2:
The loading system incorporates dynamic adjustment capabilities where the rotation of pack rows can be selectively applied based on the specific pallet configuration requirements. The conveyor system can adaptively rotate only the necessary rows at appropriate positions, providing flexibility to achieve stable patterns without requiring complex fixed rotation mechanisms for all packs
Data Source
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AI summary
The method involves rotating objects around a vertical axis at an angle of 90 degrees for forming a desired layer image of the objects, where the objects are arranged in parallel on a conveying device and stay one behind the other in a conveying direction. The objects are attached to a pallet (10) in a pushing direction that is aligned transverse to the conveying direction. The objects are rotated in a rotating direction in such a manner that one object arranged at a rear point on the conveying device is arranged in front of a gap (20) in a middle area after the rotation.